


Help Me Save You

by Spontaneous_Splenzi0411



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Slash, Time Travel, Transformers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-02-16 10:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13051746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spontaneous_Splenzi0411/pseuds/Spontaneous_Splenzi0411
Summary: The world has gone to hell. Autobots are dead or missing, human governments have collapsed, and Decepticons and other evil doers roam freely. What he had the chance to change it? To save the world? Sam has to be prepared to change everything. [I don't own Transformers]





	1. Hell on Earth

Sam grimaced as he swirled the alcohol in its bottle. He brought the bottle to his lips and swallowed. His eyes gazed blankly ahead. He felt nothing. 10 years to this day, the world went to Hell. It started when Megatron killed Jazz. As years passed Autobots and NEST soldiers alike died off, slowly losing the eternal war against the Decepticons. It all started with Jazz and then more Autobots and humans followed. Dead. No matter how often it happened, it still hurt. All the soldiers, Mikaela, his parents…. All dead for no reason other than war. Sam broke his train of thought with another swig from his bottle. He sighed, pushing himself to his feet.

Wandering aimlessly he took to the streets, ignoring the piles of rubble and occasional fires. Sam dragged his feet through the dust, paying no mind to the world around him. A piercing shriek made his head snap up. A spark of worry blossomed in his gut, and he rushed to where it came from. There was another scream and yelling as he turned the corner into an alleyway. Sam stopped surveying the scene. Several men in dirty rags surrounded a small girl. The little girl clutched a teddy bear to her chest as tears streamed down her face. She shivered in the corner she huddled in, a red mark blossoming on her cheek. Rage ignited in his stomach, controlling his actions. A man directly in front of the child was speaking, but Sam ignored it, choosing instead to charge him. Sam tackled the man to the hard ground swinging widely at his face. The man hadn’t expected an attack, given how he hardly struggled at first, to stunned to retaliate. He began to struggle but Sam continued to punch him, until a sickening crack. Blood streamed out of the man's nose as he lay unconscious or dead on the ground. Suddenly large hands grabbed at him, yanking him off. Sam turned his head to the little girl, making eye contact.

“RUN!” he roared, turning to attack whoever had a hold on him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a small shape dash away from the scuffle. Realizing she was safe, all the fight left Sam and he slumped to the ground like a dead weight. He sat unresponsive as harsh blows battered his body. Raised voices rang in his ears, but he ignored them. Finally, a blow struck the side of his head and his world went black.


	2. Divine Intervention

For an eternity he seemed to drift through emptiness. There was no space, no matter, no light, and no darkness. Just nothing. His thoughts were scattered and disjointed, losing all semblance of self and coherency. Finally, he pulled himself together enough for a single thought. 

‘Am I… dead?’ As if waiting for him to question it, the nothingness grew and pulled away, tugging at him in its retreat. A light pure and warm radiated behind him as Sam grew in his awareness. He turned, rotating smoothly as he silently floated in place. A massive being, indescribable and terribly beautiful in appearance, reached for him. There was no fear in Sam, resting in the great beings grasp, only curiosity. They gazed at one another before the figure spoke, their whispering voice ringing through the void. 

“My child.” The words rumbled and tumbled through Sam, shaking his bones, and his very soul. 

“Primus,” Sam breathed in awe.

“My child, I did not mean for it to end this way,” Heart wrenching sorrow emanated from him as he continued. “I will need your help to make this right. Are you willing?”

“Yes, I’ll do anything.” Conviction and relief filled him. 

“Then let us begin. You will know what to do.”

Then, Primus was gone and Sam was no longer drifting. He fell, the void and emptiness tugging and tearing at him. The blankness spun and there was no longer nothing as something spun into existence. Sam hurtled towards the something at breakneck speeds, colliding with it just as his world went black.


	3. Home

Sam woke up as he hit the spinning thing. He shot upright in bed, panting as sweat dropped down his face and down his back. Disappointed that it was dream, he dropped his head into his hands. Mind still muddled with thoughts of hope and helping, he rubbed his face. Sam blinked harshly, scooting out of bed. He pushed himself to his feet, and tottered to his bathroom. Still too tired to function properly, he ignored the nostalgia of his old bedroom. Grunting, Sam pulled his shirt off, and turned on the faset. He splashed water on his face, rubbing thoroughly to wake himself up. Turning off the tap, he patted his face try and glanced in the mirror. As he turned away, Sam froze, slowly turning around to stare at his reflection. Or, rather, somebody else's reflection. A young face gazed back at him, void of wrinkles, scars, and stubble. It took a moment to fully process, but Sam eventually recognized the face of his teenage self, free of worries and sadness. He reached up, feeling his face. No longer a world weary man, but the face of a boy on the cusp of adulthood. Vague recollections and snippets of his dream flitted across his mind. 'So, this is what Primus meant...' Another thought, one far more daunting, dawned on him. Sam's heart pounds in his chest and tentative tendrils of hope curl in his gut. Sam sprints downstairs eyes scanning everything, and bursts into the kitchen.

He stops and just stares at his parents, Mom making breakfast and Dad reading the morning paper.

Tears fill his tired eyes.

The last time he saw his parents he had just found their broken and bloody bodies outside their burning house.

Slowly, as though they would disappear if he moved to fast, Sam walked to them.

“Sammy?” His mom’s confused expression urged him forward and reached out with shaking arms, pulling her into a tight hug.

He pulled back, and seeing her increasingly bewildered face, tried to explain.

“I-” his voice cracked.

He cleared his tight throat.

“Sorry, I had a vivid dream.”

Dad snorted from where he sat at the kitchen table.

“What, did it have giant alien robots or something?” He snarked.

Sam’s heart stopped.

He gave his father a strange look.

“Yeah….. how’d you guess?”

“Oh! That reminds me of how you used to have nightmares where you would come crying to us, begging us to hide from the Deceptions or whatever. You even went through a phase of hating cars.” His mom waved him off flippantly.

Sam paled, and felt chills run down his spine.

Nervously, he tried to shake it off. It was time to prepare for the future, not worry about the past.


	4. It Begins

A month has passed since Sam landed in the past. He had already begun making minute changes, especially with himself. He worked out often, ran every morning, and even got a part time job. Now the day was finally here, the genealogy project. Hurriedly Sam packed the stuff he needed for the day and ran out the door, not bothering to go on his morning run. He made it to school just in time, having walked the whole way. Classes dragged by at a snail’s pace, each minute by agonizing minute. Finally, Sam enters his History class and gets his report, notes, and items out. Class passed in a blur, and soon it was his turn to present.

“Alright. Witwicky, your up!” Sam jolted as his teacher called his name. He gathered his things and walked to the front of the classroom. Turning around he began his presentation. Words flowed like a river from his mouth and his classmates listened with rapt attention as Sam wove the story of Captain Archibald Witwicky. His presentation finally dwindled to an end just as the final bell rang. Worry worming in his gut, Sam approached his teacher.

“So, what’d I get?” His teacher sighed tiredly, handing Sam his graded paper.

“An A. Your overall presentation was great, but you went over the time limit. I wanted to let at least one other student to present today.” Sam bobbed his head, smiling.

“Sorry,” He grabbed all his belongings and rushed out the door yelling behind him. “Thank you!” Sam whooped in joy, the warm feeling bubbling up inside him. It was finally happening, his chance to fix everything and prevent needless deaths. Sam ran out to his father’s car, waving his paper in the air. He hoping in the green convertible and waved it in his father’s face.

“A! It’s an A!” Ron squinted at the moving paper, clutching at it to get a better look.

“Stop- stop waving it. I can’t see, I can’t see it,” The man looked over the paper with a critical eye and smiled. “Yep, that’s an A!” Then they were off, driving towards a car dealership to get Sam’s first car.

“Boy have I got a surprise for you, Sam,” His father chortled as they pulled into a Porsche dealership. Sam remembered the first time this happened and simply gave his father an unimpressed look. Ron pouted at his son.

“You’re no fun…” Finally the pair pulled into a used car dealership with dusty windows and faded signs. His father parked the car and the pair got out, looking around themselves. A man came out of the shop, greeting them cheerfully.

“Gentlemen! Bobby Bolivia, like the country ‘cept without the runs,” the man joked, shaking their hands. “How can I help ya?”

“Well my son here….We’re gonna buy his first car.” Ron patted Sam’s shoulder and smiled proudly. Bobby stared at them intently, then spoke slowly, pointing to himself.

“You, come to see me?”

“Had too,” Sam grumbled under his breath. Bobby grinned brightly, reaching out to shake the pair’s hands again.

“That practically makes us family! Uncle Bobby B, baby. Uncle Bobby B.”

“Sam,” the 16 year returned politely.

“Sam!” Bobby tested his name. “Lemme tell it to ya, Sam. Your first enchilada of freedom awaits underneath one ‘a those hoods,” He pulled Sam along towards a row of cars. “Lemme tell ya somethin’ son. The driver don’t pick the car. The car pick the driver. It’s a mystical bond between man, and machine.” Bobby stopped, looking Sam dead in the eyes. “Son, imma lotta things, and a liar ’s not one of ‘em. ‘Specially not in front ‘a my mammy. That’s my mammy,” He turned, waving at a pair of older ladies sitting about a hundred feet away. “HEY MAMMY! AWWWWW don’t be like that. If I had a rock, I’d bust yo head, bitch. Sam, she deaf, ya know?” He grumbled before chuckling. He turned, guiding Sam again. “But ova’ here, every piece ‘a car a man might want or need.” The small group stopped right next to Bumblebee. Sam’s heart raced and he smiled at the motionless car. He looked up at Bobby, hiding his happy expression.

“Let’s see….uh. This-this one’s got racing stripes.”

“Yeah. It got racing st- Eh? What the- what the heck is this? I don’t know nuttin’ bout this car,” Bobby ran his worn hands along the yellow trunk before calling out. “MANNY!”

“WHAT.” A young man walked out of the repair shop waving his arms and covered in oil.

“WHAT IS THIS? THIS CAR- CHECK IT OUT!”

“I DON’ KNOW, BOSS! I’VE NEVER SEEN THAT. THAT’S LOCO!” The man called back.

“DON’T GO RICKY RICARDO ON ME, MANNY. FIND OUT!” Bobby ordered his worker. Sam took the opportunity to slip behind the wheel. He shifted in the leather seat, muttering to himself.

“It feels good,” He whispered. Sam leaned forward and gently wiped dirt off of the Autobot insignia from the middle of the steering wheel.

“How much?” His father asked Bobby. Bobby made a show of examining and looking over the condition of the car.

“Well…. Considering the semi-classic nature of the vehicle, wit da slick wheels and the custom paint job,”

“Wait wha- but the paints faded?” Sam interrupted incredulously, staring at the car dealer.

“Yeah, but it’s custom faded,” The man stuttered.

“It’s custom faded?” Sam repeated. Bobby glared at him.

“Well, it’s ya first car. I wouldn’t expect you ta’ understand. Five grand!”

“Wait! Are you kidding me? It may be my first car, but it sure ain’t my first time behind the wheel. I work part time at an auto repair shop. I know this ain’t custom faded.” Bobby glared at him again, and sighed.

“Fine, it-” the car interrupted him, the radio letting out a piercing shriek that shattered several nearby car windows. Luckily for Sam, he was already out of the car. “THREE GRAND. IT’S THREE GRAND!” Bobby stared at the car in horror, looking at it and back at the shattered glass around them. Sam spoke up, trying not to smirk or pump his fists. 

“Hey, is it alright if I leave now? Or do I need to wait for the paperwork to be finalized?” Sam’s father looked to Bobby for his input. Bobby sighed, running a hand down his face. 

“Go ahead. Just get it out of here,” Bobby waved for Ron to follow him. “Just come on in, and we’ll finish everything up.”

“Said the spider to the fly,” Sam mumbled under his breath. He could have sworn he felt Bumblebee vibrate minutely under his hand. Sighing contentedly, Sam slipped behind the wheel. He grabbed the keys from the sun visor and started the car. The engine snarled to life and Sam pulled out of the dealership. He carefully drove home, pulling into the end of the driveway. Sam turned the car off, and walked to the his parent’s garage. He quickly gathered the supplies he wanted, and walked back to the yellow Camaro. He fills the bucket and gets to work. First, Sam rinsed the car with the hose, then he began to gently scrub suds over the sides of the car. Rubbing in small circles, he worked quickly to get the grime off. In no time at all, the once dirt encrusted camaro, shined in the setting sun. Sam smiled with satisfaction, patted the hood twice, and went inside the house.


	5. Bee Nice

The next morning, Sam woke up bright and early and leisurely stretched. He took his time getting ready, not worried about being late for anything. He dressed and tied his running shoes on. He went through the kitchen only to grab a water as he went out the front door. He stood on his porch and breathed in the crisp morning air. He began his daily warm-up, stretching relaxed muscles in preparation for his daily run.

Then, he was off. Sam ran, stretching his legs to go further, winding through streets and alleys. When he finally came to a stop, Sam was in a secluded area at the edge of town. He looked around himself, seemingly alone in the alley. Taking care to double check his surroundings once more, he turned back to the entrance. A sliver of vibrant yellow peeked out from around the corner. A small smile grew on the boy’s face as he looked to where his Guardian hid.

“Come on out, Bumblebee. I know you're there.” The sliver of yellow jolted out of sight for a moment before his Camaro cautiously edged around the corner. The sports car eased itself into the alley, careful not to scrape against the walls. He stopped a few feet short of Sam, sitting there nervously. 

“Don’t worry, Bee. You can transform here,” Sam smiled as the car jerked back a foot in shock. Slowly, as if not to startle him, the yellow Camaro transformed. Sam’s smile widened as he took in the sight of his old friend. The Autobot’s bright blue optics stared intently at him.

“Who do you think you are/ calling you out/ are you really/ Bond. James Bond.” The yellow bot played the sound bytes carefully, still observing him carefully. Sam looked him in the optics, shrugging sheepishly. 

“Sorry, I don’t really know how to explain it,” Bee gave him a look. “I don’t! But I swear by the power of Primus that I’m not a spy.” Bumblebee’s door wings twitched at Sam’s claim, and the deity he chose to swear by.

“Alright/ I believe/ you./ I’m watching you.” The mech pointed to his optics, then swung his hand around to gesture to Sam.

“I get it, I get it,” Sam beamed up at him. “But no worries ‘Bee. I promise- I’m only here to help.”

Bumblebee nodded mutely. He ducked down, shifting into his secondary form, and backed out of the alley. He idled at the entrance to it before Sam made a shooing motion. The alien rolled away and Sam started his run again.

Timeskip

Sam stretched his sore back as he walked back to Bumblebee, cracking it loudly. A woman shot him a disgusted look as she continued on her way. Sam shrugged and “unlocked” Bee, getting behind the wheel. The sun was high in the clear blue sky, a beautiful day. Except he had spent the morning in the shop helping to restock shelves, service customers, and wash the cars. After a tedious shift like he’d had today, Sam just wanted to go home and sleep or play video games with Miles. 

But that was not to be. Today was the lakeside party, and Sam knew he had to go- just like he did before. The only difference was that this time Sam wouldn’t ditch Miles nor would he stumble over himself in front of Mikaela. When their relationship had ended, Sam and Mikaela had remained good friends, almost akin to siblings. Besides, Sam knew that he loved another being. 

Dragging himself out of his pensive thoughts, Sam pulled into the Lancaster’s driveway. He shot of a text to his parents reminding them that he wouldn’t be home until later as he parked. Sam got out of the Camaro and walked up the stone path. He casually opened the door and strolled in, nodding at Miles’ parents.

“Hey Mrs. Lancaster, Hey Mr. Lancaster,” the pair shot him amused looks before returning to their previous activities. Sam turned towards the stairs and called up them. “MILES! LET’S GO!”

A muffled “Go where?” came from upstairs, but Miles tromped down the stairs regardless. Sam led the way to the front door, Miles trailing close behind him.

“We’re going to a party.” Sam’s eyes twinkled with mischief and Miles was instantly suspicious. 

“Why?”

“To show off my new car,” as Sam spoke he threw open the door revealing the classic Camaro with a yellow paint job and black racing stripes. Miles' eyes grew to the size of saucers and his draw dropped. He walked toward Bumblebee as if he was in a trance, blue eyes distant. He traced the car with a gentle touch, barely grazing his fingers along the side. 

“Bumblebee….” he breathed. He looked back to Sam, resting his hand on the Camaro’s hood- not noticing the small jolt the frame gave.

“Bumblebee,” Miles spoke more confidently. “Sam, you should name him Bumblebee.” Sam gave him a knowing smile and nodded his head.

“Of course, Miles.” Sam walked around to the drivers seat, easing himself in. “But why do you think the car’s a ‘he’?” Miles climbed into the passenger seat and shrugged noncommittally. 

“Just feels like a he.” Sam shook his head in exasperation and turned the key. He pulled out of the driveway and turned onto the street.


	6. You've Got a Friend in Me

In no time at all, Sam and Miles had arrived at the Lakeside and pulled into a parking spot under a tree. The friends got out of the car and Miles jumped into the tree, scaling it with ease. He reached down to help Sam up, but they were interrupted by an annoying voice. 

“Hey bro, that car. It’s nice,” Sam sighed. He’d known this was coming. Still, he ignored Trent. “Hey, what are you guys doin’ here?”

“We’re here to climb this tree.” Sam deadpanned. 

“I-I see that,” Trent blinked, taken aback. “It looks- it looks… fun.” 

“Yeah.”

“Ya know so I, I thought I recognized you,” Trent antagonized, stepping forward. “You tried out for the football team last year, right?”

“Nah,” Sam shrugged with a smirk. “I just came to do research- y'know when you gather information about-”

“I know what ‘researching’ is.” Trent snapped.

“Really? Miracles do happen.” Trent snarled wordlessly. “Anyway it was for a Lit. project, a little book I wrote.” 

“Oh yeah?” Trent raised a brow, disbelieving. 

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, what’s it about? Sucking at sports?” Trent smirked triumphantly as a few of his cohorts hooted. 

“Haha,” Sam mocked. He continued snarkily. “No it’s the link between brain damage and football. It’s super great, you and your friends would love it, it’s got mazes in it, little coloring pages. It’s even got pop up pictures. Really fun, really informative.” Sam smiled at him faux earnestly, stepping into his space. Sam had grown in the past month, and no longer had to look up at Trent.

“Thats funny.” Trent growled, clearly enraged. Just he’s about to step forward Mikaela dashes in between them. She pushed against Trent’s chest as he continues to glare at Sam over her head. Sam returns the look, but imagines tearing his long-time bully apart limb-by-limb. His thoughts must have been broadcasted on his face, because Trent’s anger drains as quickly as the blood in his face. He actually takes a small step back, and stares at him in barely concealed fear. To anyone else he would still look angry, but Sam had enough experience to see past his facade. Mikaela glances back at Sam before turning back to her boyfriend. She murmurs platitudes into his ear, and draws his attention away. 

“Come on guys. I know about a party not to far from here,” he calls over his shoulder distractedly. Sam holds his ground for a moment, before turning away with a small sigh. He looks over to Miles, who had jumped out of the tree after Trent had approached, leaning on the tree. He smiles apologetically at his friend.

“Sorry Miles. I really didn’t think that the situation would escalate so far.” Miles shoots him a Look that conveys his abject disbelief, but shakes his head.

“Whatever, but I’m more curious about your little stare down.”

“What do you mean?” Sam tried to play it off, but Miles shoots him a Look again, this time accompanied by a raised eyebrow. Sam flushed and looked anywhere but Miles. He mumbled something under his breath.

“What? Can you repeat that?” Sam lets out a put-upon sigh, but concedes.

“I was imagining doing Not Nice Things to Trent.” Miles must immediately know what he means because he just smiles and shakes his head. The friends walk back to Bumblebee, conversation moving to lighter topics. Just as they are about to get in, raised voices catch their attention. 

“OH. OH GOD. I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MUCH I’M NOT YOUR LITTLE BUNNY.” Sam looks back to see Mikaela yelling at Trent in front of his truck. She storms away angrily, evidently intending to walk home. Trent yells something to her that made her stick an arm up and flip him the bird. Sam chuckles as he and Miles get in the car. The radio starts, and Bumblebee softly plays a love song. Miles stares at the radio and pales, unnoticed by Sam and Bumblebee. 

“Hey man, what wrong with your radio?” Miles murmurs to Sam. Sam shoots him an inscrutable look before he turns back to watch Mikaela thoughtfully.

“Just ignore it. Anyways, Imma drive Mikaela home tonight.” 

“What!?!” Miles yelps. “She's the Evil Jock Concubine, man. Let her hitch hike!”

“She lives 10 miles from here, ok?” Sam tried to reason with his friend, “And it’s already dusk. Can you see what I'm trying to get to here?” Miles face is serious as he thinks over Sam’s words. 

“Alright, well we’ll put her in the back, it’ll be fine.”

“Did you just say put her in the back?” Sam tried his best to sound appalled. “Miles, that sounds so wrong. If that's the case, we should put you in the back!”

“I-I-” Miles blushes to the tips of his ears. Sam gives his friend an unrepenting grin.

“It’s fine I'm teasing. But you are going in the back.”

“Whaaaat? Why?”

“Chivalry, Miles. Chivalry.” Sam chided him gently, shaking his head in pretended shame.

“Party foul man! The rules-”

“What rules?” Sam cuts in, confused.

“Bros before hoes!” Ah. That rule. Sam gives his friend a pleading look.

“Miles, get in the back, please.”

“You, you can’t do this to me!” Miles is indignant now, less bothered by sitting in the back, but at the idea he is being demoted for an Evil Jock Concubine.

“Miles, you gotta get in the back,” Sam gives him his best disappointed expression as he pulls out his secret weapon. “What would your mom say?” Miles gapes at Sam, shocked. His brow furrows as he curses but complys. He huffs as he settles in the back seat, obviously disgruntled, but doesn’t bother to continue arguing. Sam smiles softly and thanks his friend and starts the car. The engine roars to life 

Sam starts the car and drives after Mikaela. The young woman turned at the sound of the Camaros strong engine approaching her. Sam pulled up beside her, and rolled down the window with a charming smile.

“Hey, Mikaela! I was wondering if you wanted to catch a ride with me and Miles?” Sam nodded his head to Miles, who was lounging grumpily in the back. The girl blinked, and nodded slowly. She hesitantly opened the door and slipped in. Sam peeled away from the curb, and started the long drive home. The unlikely trio sat in an awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity. Mikaela decided to break it, commenting out loud.

“I can’t believe that I’m here right now,” she murmured out the window. Sam looked at her, amused.

“You can duck down if you want. I mean, it won’t hurt my feelings,” Sam jokingly offered. Miles, still annoyed about being kicked to the back, just snorted.

“Oh! Nonono! I didn’t mean-” Mikaela huffed nervously. “I didn’t mean hear with YOU. I just meant here, like, in this situation.”

“Ah,” Sam’s noncommittal response seemed to cue her into a rambling tirade.

“Same situation that I’m always in. Cause I don’t know, I guess I just have a weakness for hot guys- for tight abs, and- and really… big arms…” She stuttered earnestly, but she mostly only succeeded in sticking her foot in her mouth.

“Big arms?” Sam shot her a bemused glance.

“Yeah…” Silence once again descended in the cab. Desperately, Mikaela tried for another conversation topic. 

“Are you new to school this year? It’s your first year?” Mikaela turned to Sam again.

“Oh. No, no. Uh, we’ve been in the same school since first grade,” Sam corrected her awkwardly. Mikaela winced.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“No,” Mikaela breathed.

“Yeah, long time,” Sam huffed with laughter.

“Well, do-do we have any classes together?” She tried again.

“Uh, YEAH! Yeah... History, language arts. Math. Science…” Sam trailed off, wincing.

“Sam.”

“Sam, yeah.”

“Sam Wil...kiki.” She hazarded. Silence, until Miles spoke up from the back.

“Wit...wicky,” Miles correct, none too gently.

“Yeah... You know what? I’m so sorry.” Mikaela was still trying hard to salvage the situation.

“It’s cool, it’s cool,” Sam waved her off. When Bumblebee started to sputter out, Sam gave a stern look to the radio. 

“‘Bee. Don’t.” The warning in his voice seemed to change the mischievous Autobot’s mind. The engine resumed it’s healthy roar, and they continued on their way. Sam was blissfully oblivious to the odd looks from both Miles and Mikaela. Sam was the one to break the silence this time.

“Mikaela, I know it’s not my place, but… Why do you still date Trent with how he treats you?” Sam spoke gently, not trying to offend her. Mikaela looked down at her lap, and shrugged noncommittally. 

“I guess… I just wanted people to forget who I really was…” She peaked at Sam through the curtain of her hair, and continued. “I think I hoped that I wasn’t just another pretty face to him.” Sam let out a noise of understanding.  
“Your dad?” he guessed. Mikaela nodded. Suddenly her fire was back, and she pinned him with a stare.

“Yeah, do you have a problem with it?” Miles looked between the two, lost.

“Wait, what? Problem with what?” The pair ignored him, and Sam smiled softly.

“No, Mikaela. No problem, and no judgement.” Mikaela smiled back, and Miles continued to be confused.

“So, now that I’m not dating Trent anymore, got any more wisdom, oh wise one?” Miles jerked back in his seat, but stayed silent this time.

“Try girls this time,” Sam said seriously. “Mix it up a little. Try something new.” Both Mikaela and Miles stared at Sam in surprise. “What?”

“You’ve been crushing on Mikaela since fourth grade! And you didn't even ask her out! Or stutter!”

“What?” Mikaela turned to stare at Sam again, who shrugged. 

“Ok, one- I got over it. Two- Miles, I realized I would prefer having her as a friend,” Sam paused to shoot his best friend a Look. “And finally, I’m gay. Miles we came out to each other, like, last week. Remember?” Miles blushed and leaned back in his seat, the seat belt tightening briefly. 

“Yeah, sorry. Completely forgot… Wasn’t it at, like, 4 am? After playing Super Mario Galaxy or something?”

“Ha, yeah. Something like that…” Sam continued to drive towards Mikaela’s house, carefully following her instructions. As he drove, the conversation turned to lighter topics and the trio joked together.

Finally, Sam pulled into Mikaela’s driveway and let her out. The teenager turned back, and leaned down to make eye contact with Sam.

“Thanks for the ride, Sam,” she turned the gaze to Miles. “You too Miles.”

“No problem. If you need anything, feel free to ask.” Right after Sam finished his sentence, the car radio switched to ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’, playing for a few seconds before switching off. Sam smiled knowingly and patted the dashboard fondly. Surprisingly it was Miles who spoke up next.

“I hope you can consider us friends, Mikaela. You’re different then what I expected, and I’d be glad to consider you one.” Sam shot his friend a proud smile, and nodded his agreement.

Mikaela smiled.

“I’d like that.”


	7. Surprise?

Later that night, after Miles had called and told his parents, the boys played games and talked together late into the night. The pair crashed sometime after midnight, which Bumblebee took as his cue to sneak away.

He quietly started his engine, the gentle purr the only noise he made as he rolled out of the driveway. Unbeknownst to Bee, the quiet noise was just enough to rouse Miles from sleep. 

The blond boy peeked out the window- only to see his best friends car driving away. He yelped and whipped around to shake Sam awake. 

“Sam! Sam! Someone’s stealing your car!” Sam just turned away with a tired grunt.

“Bye-bye Bee…” The slumbering teen mumbled. Miles was baffled. Who was Bee? Other than the Camaro of course. But why would Sam bid farewell to an inanimate object?  
Miles glanced out the window only to see the taillights of his friend’s stolen car turning a corner out of sight. Miles cursed loudly and ran from the dark bedroom. He kept his footfalls quiet as he dashed through the silent house. He paused only to shove on his ratty Converse and quietly shut the front door before he was off again.

Miles ran as fast he could, grateful that Sam had been inviting him along for his morning runs. He came around the corner quickly and saw the yellow car take another corner far down the street. 

This pattern stayed the same for some time: Bumblebee silently creeping through the town, hiding when other cars appeared, and Miles running and trying his best to keep up. The teenager was careful to stay out of sight of the car while following whoever had stolen his car. 

Finally, the quiet chase ended at a junkyard some ways out of town.

Miles ducked behind a pile of junk as the car was driven deeper into the piles of junk.

‘Is this a prank?’ the boy thought to himself. ‘Did Flash organize this?’

Immediately the boy doubted his conclusion, he didn’t consider Flash to smart or petty enough to do something like this. Miles continued to track the stolen car as his mind raced. Finally reaching a massive pile towards the center of the yard, the car stopped. Miles held his breath. Now he would see who stole his best friend’s car!

Until the car jerked on its wheels. Miles breath whooshed out in surprise as the yellow Camaro stood up. Now bipedal, the former car carefully climbed the junk pile and stood straight. The metal being stared up and began to shine a bright light on the overcast sky. The light depicted a strange face motif and reminded Miles of the Bat Signal.

He snorted. ‘The Robot Signal is more like it,’ he snarked internally. Miles leaned forward to get a better glimpse of the creature when his hand slipped. A burning pain flared in his palm and various metal bits clattered to the hard ground in a cacophony of noise. Somewhere nearby, loud barking started up. Miles hissed and inspected the open gash that ran across his palm. He squinted in the dark, trying to see it better. 

‘Wait,’ Miles froze. ‘Where is the Robot Signal?’ 

He looked at the massive junk pile, devoid of anything atop it.

‘Oh no..’

There was a small crash somewhere behind him, and suddenly the barking began to get louder. Miles jumped to his feet and ran towards the hole in the fence where he had snuck into the junkyard earlier. He dove through it and started to run home. Behind him, the barking faded into the night air as he put distance between himself and the source of the noise.

Miles slowed to a jog, then a fast walk, as he neared the Witwicky’s home. How was he going to explain the disappearance of Sam’s new car? The teenager saw his answer sitting innocently in the driveway. His brows furrowed, had he imagined it all? But, no. As he neared the Camaro Miles could make out dirt and dust marring the paint. He stopped in front of the car, crossing his arms with a frown. He stared at the seemingly inanimate car and hummed. Finally, Miles gave the Camaro a Look.

“You’re not fooling anyone, mister.” At his blunt statement, the car visibly slumped on its shocks in an obvious display of disappointment. Miles snorts and continues.

“You, sir, are going to answer all of my questions. I’ll keep them simple. Just answer by flashing your headlights. One for yes, two for no,” Miles paused. He took a deep breath. “Do you understand? Flash once for yes.”

The Camaro flashed it’s headlights once, lowering their brightness as to not blind the boy. Miles took another deep breath to steady his nerves.

“Alright. Are you a robot?” One flash.

“Okay. Were you made on Earth?” Two flashes.

“Were you made by aliens?” One flash, a pause and then two flashes. Yes and no?

“Are YOU an alien?” One flash, a little brighter than the others. Miles smiles, they were making progress.

“Are you here to invade Earth or do something equally destructive?” Two flashes, then a sheepish pause and a single flash. “So you’re not here to invade Earth, but there will be destruction?” Two flashes, but hesitant. The not-car lifted and fell on its shocks in a poor imitation of a shrug. Miles felt fear growing in his belly, who knows what this alien would do to him? Nevertheless, he pushed on.

“Does that mean you’re just here to hurt humans and other organic animals?” Miles tried to word the question carefully, he wanted a clear answer. 

The alien jerked back as if burned, and flashed it’s headlights wildly. Miles raised his hands in a calming motion.

“Whoa- calm down…” He paused as the alien stopped freaking out. “So that meant a very strong no?” One bright flash.

Miles smiled at the not-car and asked another question. The interrogation continued until the alien finally spoke. Well, used bits and pieces of songs and recordings to make a sentence.

“May I ask a question?” The voice coming from the car was distinctly male, with a strong British accent. Miles flushed and covered his face while groaning. “What’s wrong?” This time the voice was feminine.

“Why didn’t you say something earlier?! Ugh! I’m sorry for assuming you couldn’t talk verbally…”

“Sorry...I thought it…. Would help keep… you calm.” The alien did the weird shrugging motion again, before continuing. “And I…. actually… can’t talk. I use… broadcast radio!... To talk.” Even with all the clippings pieced together, Miles got the distinct feeling that the alien was amused. The boy blushed again but continued.

“Okay, then. So what was your question?”

“How are you… so calm… right now?” This time it was Miles’ turn to shrug. 

“Sleep deprivation? And shock, I guess…” He trailed off awkwardly. He suddenly scowled.

“I’m gonna kill Sam.” The alien jerked back and resumed flashing its headlights. “Not literally,” Miles sighed. “Maybe.” He jokingly tacked on. There was a lengthy silence until Miles walked away without a word. The not-car was confused until the boy returned a few minutes later with a wet rag in hand. The teen quickly wiped off the excess grime.

“So no one knows you snuck away,” Miles answered the aliens questioning beep. “There. All done!” 

A massive yawn interrupted the tired teen, and he bid the disguised alien good night before trudging up to bed.


	8. Seriously!?!

The next day, Sam and Miles roamed downtown Tranquility wandering up and down the busy streets. The warm summer sun shone brightly in the clear sky. The boys had just finished their ice cream and a short trip to the arcade. Occasionally Miles shot Sam funny looks, but they ignored the proverbial elephant in the room. The pleasant morning was ruined when Sam looked over his shoulder, a deeply ingrained habit, and spotted a familiar police car. He almost missed a step, freezing up. Miles glanced behind them as well and seeing the police car. Something about it look and felt off… He just couldn’t put a finger on it. Miles stared harder at the offending vehicle as Sam gathers his wits. 

His heart pounding, Sam grabbed Miles’ hand. Sam started running dragging his best friend behind him.

“Sam- What?” Miles gasped out in surprise.

“Just run! Trust me!” The pair continued to run, ducking into an old parking garage. There was a loud crash behind them and Miles chanced a glance back. He immediately looked forward again. They were being chased by another giANT ROBOT! Miles was pissed, and he swore to himself that he was going to throttle Sam for dragging him into this mess without any explanation.

A familiar yellow Camaro sped past them and knocked aside the aggressive robot. It spun a donut and opened a door for them in an obvious invitation. Sam dove in without hesitation and Miles was not far behind.

The boys had barely closed the door when the Camaro pulled another sharp corner. It sped up quickly putting distance between them and the danger. The boys untangled themselves and sat in an awkward silence as the car drove itself.

“So…” Sam gave Miles an apologetic look. “Miles….This is Bee, short for Bumblebee.”

“I know,” Miles retorted shortly. “We’ve met.” He neglected to say he hadn’t known the alien’s name. Sam winced. The sheepish man opened his mouth to ask more, but Miles interrupted him in favor of asking Bee a question.

“So. That was one of your enemies I’m guessing.” Bee gave an affirmative beep.

“Decepticons,” Sam piped up. He shrugged sheepishly when Miles gave him a Look. 

“More like Decepticreeps…” The blond boy muttered mutinously. This startles a laugh out of Sam and Bee, the latter shaking with silent amusement.

“What a minute!” Miles straightens in shock. “How the heck did I guess his name??!!?”

Sam just laughed helplessly. 

Bee continued to speed around, following Sam’s occasional directions, eventually pulling into an empty warehouse. The trio sat in the dusty building waiting to be sure they lost Barricade. 

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, Bumblebee deemed it safe enough for the time being, and let the boys out to stretch their cramped legs. The Autobot himself transformed and stretched as much as he could in the building. The top of his helm came very close to scraping the ceiling, and he was quick to return to his alt mode. Sam and Miles got back in as something on the dashboard beeped. The boys yelped as the engine revved and charged out of the building. They crashed through the doors as something exploded behind them. They heard a roar of frustration and the boys saw the cop car from before transform and chase after them. 

“Shit, Barricade again!” Sam growled. Bee sped up and charged towards a nearby power plant. He broke through the chain link fence and spun a donut in the loose gravel while opening his doors. With Sam and Miles safely outside of him, he transformed and took a defensive stance in front of him. Sam dragged Miles to his feet and pulled him behind him again, running even before Barricade tackled Bumblebee. The humans continued to run as they heard the distinct sound of transforming and something skittering after them. Sam could hear it gaining on them and he did the only thing he could think of. He yanked hard and shoved Miles in front of him, propelling himself backward in the process. 

“Keep goin-AH!” Sam felt sharp metal stabbing into his legs as the small Decepticons clambered up his legs. He fell involuntarily his legs spasming as the small Cybertronian jabbed at his pressure points. It rapidly reached his chest and Sam took the opportunity to grab its face. He shoved the spiky head away from his body, using his other hand to shove at the metal body firmly attached to his torso. 

As Sam wrestled for his life, Miles ran towards a convenient tool shed. He kicked the wooden door down immediately grabbing the nearest makeshift weapon. He ran back through the doorway with a large mallet in hand. He charged at the freaky baby-robot attacking his brother and yelled. The mini monster couldn’t move out of the way, pinned by Sam in its distraction. 

Miles swung hard sending the little bot flying through the night air. It landed roughly 5 feet away and tried to get up. Miles was on it before it had the chance, making use of long-buried skills. He slammed the mallet down repeatedly, striking the thin alien with every hit. Sparks traveled up from the immobile body to his mallet and into his clenched hands. It stung and prickled, but he kept smashing at it blindly as Sam pulled him away from the small Decepticon’s obliterated body. 

“Woah,” Sam soothes as Miles sneered at him, rage clouding is mind. Miles instantly realized what he did, and took a deep breath. 

“Sorry, Sam. I guess I got a little carried away, huh?” Sam shot him an incredulous look, pointedly glancing at the massive mallet clenched in his hands and the crushed body of an alien robot. Miles chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and keeping a tight grip on the mallet with another. He was saved from further teasing from Sam by Bumblebee who had wandered over sometime during the exchange after defeating Barricade. The Autobot clapped appreciatively and pointed at the crushed robot. 

“Congratulations!- I am very impressed,- I’m a hard man to impress.” Bee used 3 separate radio clips and nodded at Miles. The blond boy blushed and thanked him quietly. Sam quietly watched this exchange with a peculiar sparkle in his eyes. 

Still a few yards away Bumblebee smoothly crouched and transformed into his alt mode in one smooth motion. Sam and Miles grinned at each other and at Bee as they climbed to his interior. Bee turned and drove quietly on the nearly empty roads. They traveled along in comfortable silence each busy with their own thoughts as the roads got more lively the farther they traveled. As they sped through a tunnel, the interior of the car jerked and shifted with no warning.

The boys yelled and flailed in a minor panic, Miles finally letting go of the mallet. The handle whacked Sam’s knee and the boy yelped again. 

“WHY DO YOU STILL HAVE THAT????” Sam yelled at his friend.

“I don’t know???!!? I didn’t realize I took it with me!”

“How do you forget about the damn mallet in your HAND?!” Sam glared at him reproachfully, rubbing his abused knee. Miles just shrugged and offered him a sheepishly confused smile. Sam calmed but immediately sat up again. 

“And when were you going to tell me you knew?!”

As the boys were arguing in his cab, Bee drove up to a large hill. He gently pushed through another chain link fence, drawing the teens’ attention to his actions. The quarreling duo quieted as he parked on the crest of the hill. Sam already knew what was happening and got out. Miles, trusting his best friend, followed his lead. He glanced behind himself at the disguised robot and whistled appreciatively at what he saw. No longer looking like a time-worn vintage, Bee chose the form of a brand new 2007 model Camaro. The Camaro shuddered apart and shifted to his bipedal form. Miles noticed the Autobot looked minutely different now, but he decided not to comment on it. 

A concussive explosion of air drew their attention to the sky. Five massive meteors streaked across the black sky and split off in different directions. One passed right over their heads, so close they see minute details, enough to see that it was, in fact, not a meteor. A tremendous thud shook the ground, the boys raced after the trail of destruction leading to their quarry.

Not a hundred feet away they came upon a metallic pod smoking in a crater. The pod was massive, easily the size of Bumblebee in bipedal form. It’s sat deceptively still for a moment, then cracked open with a hiss. Steam and smoke billowed from it, almost obscuring the awesome sight of it transforming into a behemoth of metal. 

Fully transformed, the giant paused. It looked at them, zeroing in on Sam and blatantly staring. Miles would have been more worried if not for Sam’s happy smile and relaxed posture. Still, he remained apprehensive and on alert until the massive being tore its gaze away and ran with loping strides. It quickly disappeared despite its size and the boys waited a moment before turning away.

The pair quietly walked back to the waiting Bumblebee, who transformed for them as they neared. They got in him and sat quietly again as Bee drove in another direction. They made their way to the outskirts of the city and cruised along empty streets once more.


End file.
